It occurs to me with more than a little embarrassment that I have too many clothes and shoes. I know, I know – how can that be? But I have at least ten pairs of shoes that have yet to be worn (I blame the change of season on that – it’s too warm for some of these yet!). I have dresses with tags still on them that I fully intend to wear, and I have tops that have been worn once. Yet I still shop.

But I’ve just made a conscious decision to shop, but not for myself. There’s an organization called Dress For Success that helps women starting over look their best. I’ve donated my next-to-new suits (work at home now), a few pairs of new shoes I’ll never wear, and some pantyhose. They accept new or like-new work-appropriate attire for women of all sizes. Check with your local chapter to find out what they’re most in need of. It’s a great way to still feed your shopping addiction while doing some good.

Kids, if you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for a great look at a great price. A site after my own heart is the Frugal-Fashionista, which shows us the cheap way to look like the celebrity photo accompanying each post. An excellent way to ramp up your forward-thinking style!

How did I not know about the e.l.f. website before this? It’s touted in most major magazines, which is why I assumed the cosmetics would be pricey. How wrong! The eyes lips face (hence the e.l.f.) site is loaded with $1 cosmetic bargains. Seriously, when was the last time you paid $1 for anything, let alone cosmetics? The most expensive thing I found on the website was in the bath and body section – a bath/body kit in Peony Petal for a mere $15.

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be tooling around eBay looking for handbags at the very same time Jenae Michelle was selling a few of her designs. I scored a gorgeous-yet-tough-as-nails doctor bag, made of army-green canvas material and inset with a pink-and-white linen print culled from vintage placemats. I’d say the bag was indestructible, but I managed to damage it (I’m very tough on my handbags), though it took me much longer to do so than usual. But I was enamored with this bag and frankly, no bag since that one has measured up. Its sensible opening (those doctor-bag hinges are like shark’s jaws!) and small size made it the perfect bag. I liked it so much I signed on as Jenae’s PR rep for a short time.

I visited her site today and I’m happy to report Jenae is still making incredible bags. Her styles are her own. Her materials are a complete surprise and a welcome one at that. She designs and sews each bag. No skimping on materials or creativity, either. When you have a Range of Emotion bag, you have a one-of-a-kind creation. One of my favorites from her new line is this one, aptly called Zebra Stripe Gun Control.

You can find Jenae’s designs, or order your own custom-made design, at her Range of Emotion website.

One of my favorite things to do is to take a high-end designer outfit and recreate with in bargain-priced clothing. On last week’s My Beauty and Fashion blog, site owner Diva in Training allowed me to walk her readers through the process. Oddly, it’s much more difficult to piece together an outfit online than in the stores, but I managed.

If you have Firefox browser, you should be able to see it. My IE was having difficulty reading the images. Please give Diva some blog love!

How thrilled are you that Project Runway has returned? The first show was full of promisning designs, and some completely off-the-wall stuff, as per usual. What’s exciting is that this year, they’ve teamed up with Blue Fly, which features its own version of the winning design on its site the next day. Very cool!

Here’s a fun weblog – Shefinds.com has a regular test of your bargain-shopping prowess. Showing two similar items, your mission is to choose the higher-priced one. I was able to choose four out of five correctly. The beauty of the site is it links the photos to sites where you can buy the items.

If you’ve not found the Give Simple website yet, you’re seriously missing out. One of their best-selling items is this tote, which is large enough to act as a suitcase for weekends or longer. I bought one thinking it was handbag size. No way! But I quickly fell in love with it. It’s a vinyl bag with a strong zippered top and a sturdy bottom and handles.